The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships
by Indigo-Thorn
Summary: A winding tail set in the SC2 world, with Maxi's quest to finally destroy Astaroth once and for all, and let himself and his crew finally be at peace. R&R. KilikXianghua, MaxiOC
1. Meeting Again

First off a little explanation for this, Iseoie is my own character, and basically the story

remains the same, except in this, Iseoie has been travelling with Maxi, Kilik etc.. . This

begins at the end of Soul Calibur 1, with the battle of Maxi and Astaroth.....

All SC2 characters (c) Namco etc....

Iseoie (eye-zee-o-e) (c) me

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The rain beat down onto his tanned, smooth skin, heavily, unbearably. His deep, brandy

brown eyes narrowed, in disgust as he stared at the figure before him, looming over him with

his mighty axe. Astaroth repulsed him in every way imaginable, and Maxi didn't hate easily.

"I'm going to kill you, hack you into pieces worm!" the demon chuckled, confidently, even

though he had no idea of Maxi's fighting capabilities. "We'll see..." was Maxi's only reply,

his words uttered through gritted teeth. His deep eyes wandered over to his three

companions, Kilik, Xianghua and Iseoie. His gaze softened, he couldn't go on with them,

he'd travelled so far, for so long, just for this one battle, and he was going to finish it,

whether he walked out of it alive or not. This battle, to seel his vengeance, and let him be at

peace.

"GO!!" he commanded to the three, who were staring at him, as he spoke, the rain dripped

down his nose, and trickled down his even lips, causing him to shiver. "NOW!!" he shouted

again, harshly. Kilik and Xianghua were both stunned at their friends decision, but it was his

to make, they just prayed to the gods he'd come out alive, and their adventures together

would not be cut short as they ran to escape. "Isy!!, what are you doing, get moving!!" he

commanded to Iseoie. She was quite stunned, her long, golden hair matted to her shoulders,

she couldn't, it felt as though she'd be abandoning him if she did. "No!!" she yelled back, "I

can't just run away, not after everything!" the tears staining her face were hidden by the rain

that seeped down her pale skin, softly. "It's my fight Iseoie, go now, before you get hurt!!" he

was desperate to persuade her to leave, but knowing her stubbornness it may not work.

Astaroth was most amused by all of this, he chuckled, readying his axe. The steel glinted

menacingly as random droplets clung to it, the grey sky overhead, signalled that it was to be a

dark day indeed. He raised his axe, and brought it down sharply towards Iseoie, Maxi stared,

but his quick reaction, caused the axe to just be diverted by his nunchaku, Fatibal. "Dammit,

go, I'll catch up to you, I sware!!" he half pleaded, now gripping her shoulders, and half

shaking her. "But...." she sobbed. His eyes were rather harsh, and dark, narrowing to slits.

"Go" he said again, "I-" she was cut off, as he gripped her chin, pulling her face upwards, to

press his lips against hers, holding her there for a moment. "Now go Isy, it's my fight" his

voice wasn't as harsh now, he slowly backed away from her, turning to face Astaroth again.

"I'll wait...." she stammered, not sure if heard or not, as she dashed off, to find Kilik and

Xianghua.

She waited upon the hill that loomed over the wreckage of the former village that had once

been her home. "Come on, you swore you'd never brake a promise..." she sobbed, looking in

every direction for any sign of him. At this point, she'd well and truly lost Kilik and

Xianghua, she was alone. "He's gone..." she sobbed, realising Maxi wasn't going to show up.

She shook, and ran towards the docks, back to a crew that were just leaving, she bargained

passage, sitting in silence the whole ride.

4 YEARS LATER.......

Maxi sat on the bank by the river, the village was just to his right, and was innocently

bustling as always. The sun glided over him perfectly, as he sat by the river, one hand behind

his head, as the other clutched a flower that he twirled in his fingers. Although the scene was

very pleasant, and almost perfect, his expression didn't seem to match, he seemed to be

quietly thinking of something, regretting. "I should have died, then I wouldn't be feeling like

this..." he muttered to himself quietly. He didn't know how it happened, but after the battle,

that he won against Astaroth, he thought he'd died, only to wake up on the very river bank he

was sitting on, villagers swarming him, and taking him into their care. In the past four years,

he'd spent his time at the village, and become very popular and well known, he enjoyed the

peace and tranquillity of his new home. Yet, he regretted how he'd gotten there. "I wonder if

they're alive...." he questioned himself, "I wonder if she....is alive..." he questioned again.

A shriek from the village, made him look up and jolt to his feet nimbly. "Great, more thieves

I bet...." he commented quietly, he grinned, he always did love a fight, "I guess, I better go

and teach them the rules..". He dashed into the village, one of the villagers was slain, lying

dead in the middle of the town, blood surrounded his body, and his fingers had been severed.

"Where I'm from, that's the punishment for theft..." a cold voice stated. Maxi's attention was

drawn to a slender figure that was perched on a roof top, hidden by a hooded cape that waved

in the wind. She held a blade in her hand, a double sided blade, that was stained with blood

and gleamed menacingly in the light. "Well, we do things differently...." Maxi retorted,

holding his nunchaku up, as if readying for a fight. "You do things too softly, no wonder

there's no order around this place" the figure said wryly and slightly sarcastically.

She dropped down, her face shadowed by her hood, as she held her blade up to Maxi, he

knocked it aside and sneered. "I dunno who the hell you think you are....showing up here, and

telling us how to run our village, but, I think you better leave before I get nasty...". He struck

his nunchaku towards her, with a lightning like reaction, her blade shot up, to block his

attack. She snorted. "You won't hurt me..." she said spitefully. Maxi narrowed his dark eyes,

"Don't be so sure...". She tightened her grip around the hilt of her blade, and the two blades

shot back in either end, and she tucked the hilt into her belt. Slowly, she took down her

hood, revealing her features entirely.

She was beautiful, the face that launched a thousand ships. Her hair was a white blonde

colour, neat, and past her shoulders, with tinges of red. Her lips were a rosey colour, and

curled into a neat grin. And her skin was smooth, and delicate, pale like snow, as her emerald

coloured, gem like eyes, examined Maxi's face. He said nothing, but stared, gulping as if

swallowing his pride. "Isy?" he stuttered. "That's right...." she responded, her arms folded

across her chest at this point. The villagers were getting annoyed, how could Maxi just stand

there, when this woman had slain one of their villagers, one of their own people!. Maxi, do

you know her!?" a woman called, her raven locks tossed over her shoulders, as she gripped

one of Maxi's arms, trying to persuade him to rid the village of Iseoie. "Yeah" he said

bluntly, breaking free of the woman's grip, as he walked towards Iseoie, taking her hand and

leading her off somewhere by the wrist.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, watching the villagers incase they followed. She freed

herself of his grip, and bit her lip, looking at him. "He's back...." she said simply.....


	2. The Unearthed Vengeance

Chapter 2 - The Vengeance Is Unearthed.

"He's back?…." Maxi furrowed his brow in confusion, "Who, what?" he had a horrible sinking feeling coming to his gut, one of terror, and anxiety. "Astaroth…he's alive" Iseoie said simply, she didn't want to tell him, but, she wasn't going to not, she had spent the last three years trying to find him, she never accepted he had died, after she'd discovered Astaroth was still alive, resurrected from the fires of the Soul Edge. "I don't believe you, I watched him die, I killed him!" he shouted, distress was clear in his voice, and he turned his back to her, his hands shaking. The thing that worried him, was, he wasn't sure he could face everything again, after the last fight, his body wasn't in the same condition, he had acquired some injuries that had never healed. "Well it's true Maxi, and I travelled half the globe to tell you that" she narrowed her emerald eyes, not really liking the response she was getting from him. He'd changed, he wasn't the same, not as fun loving, not as up for a fight as he was four years ago. It was odd. Maxi let out a sigh, his shoulders were tense and quivering. He could feel Iseoie's gaze blazing into the back of him, staring at him with those jewel like eyes he admired. "What do you want from me Isy?" he asked, turning his head to look at her. "Help" she said simply.

She didn't wait for a response, she simply put up her hood to shade her features again, and turned around to walk back towards the villagers. "MURDERER!" they shouted, the body of her victim had since been cleared away. She snarled, glaring at them, "Don't be so ignorant, I did you a favour, that man was a thief" she snarled, "He was stealing money from you all every day, I've been watching him for the past four days, and you are too wrapped up in your perfection, that you couldn't see it" she finished her little speech, walking on, silence now echoing through the village. Maxi walked towards them, only to be separated from Iseoie, by the villagers that swarmed around him, demanding to know who this 'Iseoie' girl was. "Get out the way, c'mon!!!" he pleaded, "Move!!" he shouted again, pushing passed several villagers, but he still couldn't get to her. "ISY!" he finally shouted, getting her attention at last.

She stopped and turned to face him, "You've made up your mind?" she asked sternly, taking down her hood again. People stood and stared, this was the most strangest confrontation ever, and it didn't help that not many people knew of Maxi's past, or the people that were in it. "I'm going with you" he grinned, shaking himself free of the last few villagers to catch her up. He slung an arm around her shoulders playfully and looked back at the villagers, "I'll come back" he began, scratching his chin with a sheepish smile, "Some day" with that vow, he left them, and continued to walk with his old 'friend' back towards the docks. "I'm assuming you have a ship of some kind" he asked, quirking one of his pointed eyebrows. "No, I swam here, of course I have a ship" she grinned, shrugging her shoulders. "I also have something for you, which my blacksmith restored for you" she added, as they stood before a huge ship.

It was rather beautiful, and striking to the eye, the sunset washing over it from the sea behind. Magnificent. The creamy sales whipped in the slight breeze. "This is the KazeRyuu" Iseoie stated, indicating the ship. It had a long, snaking gold dragon painted down the side of it, and it glistened in the soft, orange glow of the setting sun. "Where in the gods of Olympus did you acquire this beauty?" Maxi asked, his eyes wide with awe as he stared at every fine, perfect detail of the ship. "Well, I'm a woman, I can fight, and the crew helped me out, I became captain" she chuckled, leading him onto the ship, "That's basically it". "I'd be a woman if I could have this ship" Maxi joked, a grin curling the ends of his lips. Iseoie laughed slightly, and slapped him across the chest, gently. "Shut up, and follow me, we'll meet the crew". He nodded, obediently following.

"Drak, this is Maxi" Iseoie stated, approaching one of the crewmen, he was fairly handsome, with flame coloured hair that was tied loosly on the ends, just by his shoulders, and with lovely blue eyes, he looked admiringly at Iseoie, then at Maxi, extending a palm. "So this is Maxi, it's a pleasure, I've heard a lot about you" he smirked. "Erm, I see" was Maxi's only reply taking Drak's hand slowly, as he looked at Iseoie, raising an eyebrow. Drak fell silent a moment, and then looked as if he was struck by inspiration. "I've got something for you, Maxi" he stated, scurrying off towards the main cabin. "Oh really, and what might that be?" Maxi asked, narrowing his eyes in Iseoie's direction. She just gave an innocent smile, as Drak returned holding a box, a long, wooden box in his hands. He flipped it open, to reveal a set of glistening nunchakus. "Fatibal!?" Maxi exclaimed. "Completely restored for your use Maxi" Iseoie said smiling, "Drak spent hours fixing them up for you" she finished. Drak nodded, and let Maxi take Fatibal out of it's case. He swung them around, trying out a few of his old moves, it felt like old times, the sea air, Fatibal, Isy, yet it was incomplete without Xianghua and Kilik.

The day had finally drawn to a close, the sea air had fallen fresh and the stars twinkled warmly above, in the indigo skyline. The deck of the KazeRyuu, was empty, apart from one figure that sat lonesome on the edge. It was Maxi, sitting in quiet thought, deep, slow breaths escaping his body, as he stared at Fatibal in his hands. The moon washed over his body, like a warming touch, softly, enhancing each curve of his skin. "Can't you sleep?" a voice asked from the door to the captain's cabin. He looked up, his dark eyes wandering over to see the outline of a slender figure leaning against the door frame, silhouetted in the moonlight. "No, not really" he replied, "Just thinking about some things, that's all". The figure came into view, revealing herself as Iseoie, she sat beside him, and patted his shoulder gently. "Xian, and Kilik, right?". He nodded solemnly, "This is like some kind of crazy dream, I didn't think I was going to see any of you again, and it's great to see you" he reassured her, looking at her now.

He couldn't help but let out another sigh, as he placed a hand on one of hers, which was resting on her lap. "It's just not the same without all of us together, especially when it comes to tracking down that bstard….." he growled deeply referring to Astaroth, and then shrugged his shoulders, letting them relax at her touch. "I know" was all she could think of to say, as she found herself leaning her head on his shoulder. "We'll do what we set out to do four years ago, and then, we'll find our friends, and everything will be the way it should be" she reassured him with a smile.

She looked away from him, as she noticed his eyes fixed on her, she felt as though he was trying to pry into her should or something. "It's good you found me, so I can finish what I started" Maxi stated suddenly, breaking the eerie silence. "What we started" Iseoie corrected. Astaroth had destroyed her village, and she happened to meet Maxi there when Astaroth burnt her home down, ever since she'd travelled with Kilik, Maxi and Xianghua to carry out her revenge. "Right" he said with a grin, the grin shadowing his lips. His hand was placed at the other side of her, so he was now directly in front of her. His soft brown eyes with moonlight reflected in them. "Maxi….what are you doing?" she asked, staring at him uneasily, and feeling uncomfortable at his closeness. "Finishing the other thing I started" he replied, leaning up to grip her chin softly, running his thumb along her chin, pressing his lips against hers, with a content sigh.

From one of the shadows on deck, a figure watched, a dark growl emitting from him, as he watched them kiss, his eyes narrowing spitefully. "Dammit…" he muttered, hissing.


	3. Green

Chapter 3 - Green

The eyes that watched them narrowed, a low growl emitting from the shadows. ""Dammit……"" the voice cursed again, the eyes faded, and disappeared, their watcher, obviously had gone. ""Maxi……"" Iseoie whispered, her emerald eyes slightly wide, from surprise. She backed away, and slid from his grasp, standing up. ""I don''t think that''s wise"" she said again, touching her rosy lips, secretly longing for him to kiss her again. Lately, she wasn''t thinking with her heart, just her head, and her head told her she needed to make her duties as a captain her main priority. ""Right"" Maxi replied, nodding in agreement. ""You''re right, it has been four years after all, I understand"" he said, his deep, soulful eyes scanning her as she stood before him. He twirled the loose piece of black hair that hung in his face around his one finger, then let It go rubbing the back of his head, awkwardly. ""Indeed, it''s for the best"" Iseoie commented, looking at the floor, dull.

""I''ll, erm……see you tomorrow……"" Maxi added, with a sniff, as he simply turned and walked away, walking toward one of the other cabins, back to his own designated bed. ""Oh crap.."" she whispered to herself through gritted teeth, turning away, as they both walked in opposite directions. She opened the door of her cabin, entering the light of the glowing candle, and slowly closed the door behind her with a gentle creaking sensation. She sighed, ""Yep, I bungled up that one……"" she added, and with that, blew at the candle, sending the room to darkness.

Over night, the hard working and diligent crew of the KazeRyuu had been busy, sailing the ship to their next destination. The ship was now docked, in France, the morning, French sun slowly rising over the sparkling ocean, to wash through the windows of the captain''s cabin. Iseoie awoke slowly, her green eyes fluttering open gently. She stretched, still in her usual clothes, and strangely, her hair hadn't put a strand out of line, it was still silky smooth, and straight, sliding down her back as she stood up. She opened the door, and walked out, walking straight towards Drak. Drak seemed to glare at her, before his face seeped to a harmless expression, he stood, and made no attempt at conversation, awaiting his orders. Iseoie raised an eyebrow at this, he was usually quite chatty and pleasant to her, she enjoyed him being part of the crew. "Drak?"" she asked. ""Yes captain?"" he replied sternly, folding his arms across his lean chest. She hesitated in continuing the conversation, but did anyway. ""Where are we?"" she asked, shielding her eyes from the morning sun. ""France"" he replied simply, turning away and continuing with his duties.

"Uh, thanks..." she added, walking away from him, still with a raised eyebrow. Before she could walk any further, she was grasped around the shoulders by two strong hands. Jolting slightly, she sucked in a deep breath and slapped whoever it was across the face forcefully. "MAXI!!" Iseoie exclaimed loudly, seeing the red, hand imprint she'd made on his face. He had one eye closed and was staring at her blankly. "Erm...ow..." he said suddenly, "What the hell was that for?" he asked, opening his closed eye. "You scared me that's all..." she looked at the floor and shook off his grip. He shrugged, "That was the point, but I didn't think you were going to slap me" he added with a smile. She simply rolled her eyes and smiled also.

Their little conversation was interrupted abruptly, by the sound of a shout. "A fight....fabulous..." Iseoie sighed, and hopped up onto one of the ships sides, so she could see the docks, there was a fight, one of her men had crossed blades, with a rather handsome, blonde haired man, that wielded a gleaming rapier sword. "STOP!!" she bravely stood between the two, raising her double sided blade, to block both weapons. She glared from one man to the other. "What is going on here?" she narrowed her emerald eyes toward the rapier wielder. "Well, mademoiselle, this lad of yours, was thieving..." he stated calmly, in his thick accent, sheathing his sword, with a satisfying slice. "Well then you can take it up with me..." she said spitefully, if it was one thing she hated it was accusations towards her crewmen, they were like a second family. "And who may you be mademoiselle?" the frenchmen asked. Curling a piece of blonde hair behind her ear, she extended a palm to him. "Iseoie, this man's captain, and you?". He grinned slightly, and kissed her hand softly. "Raphael Sorel, a feminine captain, how very rare" he smiled, wickedly. Drawing his blade again, he made her stance protectively, but he simply chuckled and began to polish his blade with a white cloth he'd drawn from his belt.

She gritted her teeth, "Well, Mr Sorel, I can assure you, no man amongst my crew, would ever steal, so you've got your facts wrong" her voice had fallen harsh, and her blade was still pointed at him, readily, there wasn't any chance that she was going to let him mockingly observe her like this. His eyes were making her very weary, they kept examining every curve of her body, like she were some kind of art exhibit, she found it rather creepy to say the least.

Maxi had been watching all of this, his legs were slung over the side of the ship, and swung back and forth gently, as he watched, his brow furrowing slightly. He hopped nimbly from the ship to land beside her on the docks, slowly sliding an arm around her shoulder. "Darling, I've told you before, stop pretending to be the captain alright?" he said, waving his index finger at her, and shaking his head with a sigh. "Wha-" he cut her off, by drawing her into a kiss, desperately trying to suppress a cocky smirk. He let go of her, and hurried her away back towards the ship. He dabbed at his lip slightly, and turned to face Raphael, who's blue eyes were narrowed into slits at this point, he could have gone green if his skin would have allowed it. "You'll have to excuse my wife, she's a little.....weird..." he added with a grin. Iseoie glare back at him, and walked off towards the ship.

"I see..." Raphael commented, raising an eyebrow, as he had now placed one hand on his hip, his rapier pointed towards Maxi. "You want to fight?" Maxi smirked, that confident grin returning to his lips, he was never happier than when in a fight, especially where he had something to prove. He raised Fatibal and swung it in a wheel motion, before resting it between his hands, readying himself for the battle. "S'il vous plait...." Raphael commented with a confident grin, "Prepare for your demise.... 'captain'..." Raphael snorted..


End file.
